Posts

Plenty more racing to come from Warrnambool. TheTrialFiles, @thetrialfiles return with a selection of races on the card. For the full preview, including a couple of blackbookers running at Warwick Farm today, visit their site.

--------------------

The Trial Files (www.thetrialfiles.com) is a unique and revolutionary trial service that gives punters a vital edge over the competition through the thorough analysis of Vic, NSW and SA barrier trials.
At the trial files we use a combination of digital sectional times along with an understanding of the effort a horse is exerting in a trial to compile a comprehensive assessment of all trials run in Vic, NSW and SA.
Trial Files will identify the horses to follow, and conversely the horses who will start under the odds and be suitable “lay” bets. Our experts will assess the races our “blackbooked” horses appear in and provide betting advice accordingly. Whilst it is great to identify horses who trial well, or poorly, at Trial Files we acknow…

Day two of Warrnambool is about the flat racing, particularly the big sprint feature, the Wangoom Handicap. Taking the magnifying glass to cast an eye over the field is @brisburghphil.

--------------------

The Wangoom Handicap, 1200m.

Always a race that seems to spark my interest. It generally draws a pretty decent field and more often that not something stands out at first glance. This year is hopefully no exception. Below is a short history (last 4 winners) with a few details;

There isn’t a terrible lot we can ascertain from this short history, except for the fact that all 4 had run well at the track at some stage prior to winning the race, and 2 of them were actually trained at the track. All 4 were run on significantly ‘affected’ surfaces but we might just get a sli…

People outside Australia will have heard of the Melbourne spring carnival and the Sydney autumn carnival, and they are great in their own right, but they are spread out over several weeks, in the big city, so if you live there, there's no chance to get away and enjoy complete immersion in the racing and the off-course festivities. The best week for that in Australia is the Warrnambool carnival - three consecutive days of flat and jumps racing in a seaside town almost three hours away from Melbourne. Close enough to drive down for the day if you really wanted to, but also far enough away to justify staying for the week. And what a week it is.....

Joining the blog this week to preview several races is @TheTrialFiles - a website which bases its analysis on ..... trials! More details below.

-----------------------

WARRNAMBOOL Carnival Day 1

The Trial Files (www.thetrialfiles.com) are going to preview all flat races throughout the Warrnambool Carnival as an extra to our normal Black…

Well, blow me down with a feather. The bloke who boasted to the News of the World a few years back that he was making millions out of Betfair was actually just a conman stealing money from 'investors' and blowing it on his own ego and an extravagant lifestyle.

The call went out quickly back in June 2009 when it first came out that it was utter tripe, but unfortunately there are always gullible people who will believe any old story told to them about get rich quick schemes, and they've done their money. The crook, Elliott Short, is currently on trial for 13 counts of fraud.

I was hoping for a slightly more reputable publication to post the story but instead I'll have to use the Daily Mail...

High quality racing all around the globe this week, including the 'other' international day in Hong Kong. A handful of foreigners have beefed up the field in the QEII Cup into quite a tasty contest with plenty of depth. With the preview, it's regular HK correspondent, Jon Thompson, @jaytee6666.

------------------

Audemars Piguet QEII Cup

Sha Tin stages the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup on Sunday with 14 runners heading
to post at 16.35 local time or 09.35 on the UK clocks.

The race features what will surely be the first of many clashes between the local
champion of the older generation Ambitious Dragon and this year’s Hong Kong
Derby winner Akeed Mofeed.

The Arthur Millard trained Ambitious Dragon has been in superb form since
reappearing last October already notching up three victories, a second and a fourth in his five
races to date. His last performance in winning the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup was
as impressive as any firmly putting the likes of Glorious Days and Lucky N…

The last of Saturday's Randwick previews comes from another first-timer on the blog, Tyson Hamilton, @tyhamilton24. Read his assessment of the Group II Emancipation Stakes below and you'll soon notice he knows his stuff...

--------------------

The Emancipation Stakes

Track: Assuming Dead or similar.

A 1600m Mares Group 2 and a wide open one at that. 11 runners with a 4.5kg weight spread, three trainers with dual runners and two Kiwis fresh off the boat makes for a difficult race to assess.

Say No More: Ex-Kiwi galloper making its 14th career start. A lightly raced mare possessing an excellent win record back in New Zealand (46%). She has had two Australian starts that can best be described as “fair”. Last start was 7th to Hot Snitzel on the Randwick slow. Positioned midfield throughout, may not have enjoyed the track and didn’t really throw a punch down the straight finishing four lengths off the winner. Will take fitness from that start but does jump 4.5kg in weight. I can…

Yet another Group 1 feature on the closing day at Randwick. I'd write a longer intro but there's a better version below! Entrusted with the preview of this mouthwatering contest is another blog debutante, longtime equine enthusiast Lara Pocock. Follow her on Twitter, @lara_pocock and read more of her musings on her blog. She's not afraid to throw out an opinion on equine matters - always entertaining reading!

----------------

All Aged Stakes

It was pipped to be the race of the Sydney Carnival, a possible clash between the
wonder siblings Black Caviar and All Too Hard, with other Australian stars Hay
List and More Joyous set to contend the 1400m feature on the final day of the
Autumn carnival. However with the retirement of Black Caviar last week and
the withdrawal of Hay List on Monday due to a viral infection, the field will only
feature eight horses, but what a quality packed field it is.

After heavy rain left last week's track testing, sunshine and minimal rainfa…

The finale to the Sydney juvenile Triple Crown is the Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes over the metric mile. We don't have the Golden Slipper winner going for the glory this year but it's still a quality field. Making his debut on the blog is Josh Humbler, the wise man behind the Excelleresport website which also provides trading advice on EPL, La Liga and the PGA Tour. You can also follow him on Twitter, @excelleresport. Welcome aboard!

---------------------

RACE 5: Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes, 1600m, Group 1

Randwick has played at its testing best over the carnival thus far with no leader
winning and race fitness an asset. The final leg of the Sydney 2yo Triple Crown
presents an interesting challenge with varied form lines coming in. It may serve
to remember a filly has won each of the major 2yo races this season – Magic
Millions, Blue Diamond, Golden Slipper and Sires Produce. Prices in brackets are
assessed prices.

The Sydney autumn carnival comes to a close tomorrow with a quality programme at Royal Randwick. The staying feature of the day is the Group I Sydney Cup over 3200m. Over the years it has been won by some... how do I say this nicely.... below top class stayers who've never won another race, but also some superstars as well - Makybe Diva, Tie The Knot and Kingston Town in the last 35 years. The glut of imported European stayers these days should lift the class of all distance races in Australia, and this looks like one of the better fields of recent years, despite a compressed weight scale. Charged with the preview on this occasion is Kieran Fitzgerald, @kjob85.

-----------------

Sydney Cup

1. Mourayan
Mourayan is a reliable stayer from the Lloyd Williams stable and can usually be relied on to put in a solid run.
He has had an average campaign this autumn, however ran a decent fourth at his last start carrying a big weight.
While he has drawn well and will handle the distance, this…

Champion Hurdle Day at Punchestown tomorrow and the appearance of Irish superstar hurdler Hurricane Fly. But is he up to the task? Kieran Kenneally @kierankenneally returns...

---------------------

A few weeks ago I was really looking forward to the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown tomorrow. My anticipation was based on getting good fast ground and a belief that Hurricane Fly is vulnerable on that surface. Here we are now on the eve of the race with soft ground, a small field and a 1/3 favorite! So where is the value?

Rock on Ruby is a top class horse who would probably have won a second Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham this year if the ground hadn't turned soft. Hurricane Fly was in all sorts of trouble that day with a mile to go. Flat out and with his head hanging to one side, he simply couldn't go the pace of the leaders and wouldn't have caught them at all if the ground was fast. The ground was soft and the rest is history. All seven of Rock on Ruby's wins ha…

The Novice Chase ranks are quite strong this year and a quality lineup graces Punchestown for the second feature of Thursday. Another new guest previewer steps up to the podium, Pat Conlon, NH racing enthusiast from Co.Meath. Follow him @woodlane1

----------------

On day three of the Punchestown festival, the Ryanair Novice Chase sees some
of our best novices going head to head.

Benefficent from the Tony Martin yard seems to be the one they will have to
beat. He made all the running in the Jewson in Cheltenham on March 14th to beat
the solid favourite on the day Dynaste. The shorter trip will not bother him and jockey of the moment Bryan Cooper
is a very able pilot.

Willie Mullins sends out Arvika Ligeonniere. While you shouldn’t discount
a Mullins horse, I think this one has lost its form a bit, coming off
the back of a tough race at Cheltenham where he was pulled up and in
Leopardstown in January where he fell in the race won by Benefficent.

Day three of Punchestown and the livers are starting to take a pounding, not to mention the wallets! If you do head over for the week, the best advice I can give is pace yourself! Once again we have some top quality racing mixed in with some very difficult handicaps. Please welcome another Irishman making his writing debut for the blog, Kieran Kenneally - @kierankenneally.

----------------

The highlight of day three at Punchestown is without doubt the Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle. It's hard not to view it as the big match up between Solwhit and Quevega that everyone is looking forward to but the support cast is also strong.
Solwhit at Cheltenham. Photo credit - Dave Boylan.

The two superstars have met previously, over two miles on heavy ground at this track 1-5-09. Solwhit came out on top that day giving 5lb and just over a three length beating to the mare. Quevega will have 7lb in hand for this renewal.

Punchestown stretches over five days but perhaps a little strangely, the main event is run on day two. But then again, the feature races are strung out across the festival so perhaps it's not such a bad thing. Anyhow, it's a quality field well known to punters on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Making his debut on the blog with the preview is Mark Boylan, a young Irish racing enthusiast and talented musician, often writing about the sport of kings. Follow him @markcboylan or on his Facebook page - Facebook.com/MarkBoylanMusic

-----------------

Lieutenant To Command Gold Cup Rivals

Mark Boylan

On Wednesday, the feature race of the day and for some, the entire festival
is TheTote.com Punchestown Gold Cup. This race showcases the much
anticipated clash between Long Run and Sir Des Champs.

Long Run is returning from a very creditable third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup
last month and connections from Seven Barrows Stables appear to be exuding
confidence in their six-time Grade 1 winn…

If you've never made the trip to Punchestown for the Festival, then put it on your bucket list, it's terrific week! I've put out the call for new blood this week on the blog, and stepping up to the challenge is Peter Tierney, @soladalo with his look at probably the best contest on opening day, the Champion Novice Chase.

------------------

The Growsie Champion Novice Steeplechase, a Grade 1 Chase with the winner taking home
€49,600, is dominated by the big players in National Hunt racing from both sides of the Irish Sea.

Of the eight entries, champion trainer W.P Mullins is responsible for two, second in the trainers championship
Dessie Hughes is also responsible for two entries with Gordon Elliot, Tony Martin and Tom Taaffe
completing the Irish charge. Leading the English challenge is Kim Bailey.

The list of owners represented is no less illustrious, with Andrea and Graham Wylie currently holding
two entries and the powerhouse Gigginstown House Stud also holding two …

A big Group 1 handicap is the quintessential Aussie horse race and the Doncaster Mile at Royal Randwick fits that bill perfectly. A crackerjack field headlined by the all-conquering Pierro makes this year's renewal a mouth-watering contest. These days it's not officially called a handicap, with a compressed weight scale, the name has been changed to Doncaster Mile rather than Doncaster Handicap. Back in the early 90s, a horse called Soho Square snuck in at the bottom of the weights, carrying just 47.5kg to victory. a full 15kg less than the topweight, the mighty Super Impose who won this race twice. We won't see that spread of weights ever again, it's just 5kg this year, reflecting a higher class of contestants - even the bottomweights have Group wins in their form. With the preview, it's over once again to Kieran Fitzgerald, @kjob85.

====================

Doncaster Mile

Known as the real punter's day of the carnival, this Saturday at Randwick presents what i…

Interesting reports emerged over the weekend about the possibility of a buyer for Betfair. It turns out the firm behind it specialise in management takeovers so that sounds like some of the existing shareholders stepping in to buy the firm back, rather than see it continue to look like a lame duck on the public markets.

CVC Capital Partners, the owner of Formula One, has held talks about a takeover bid for Betfair, the online gambling exchange.

The private equity firm said on Monday that it had held preliminary discussions with Richard Koch, Antony Ball and partners about Betfair, which could include an offer for the firm by funds advised by CVC together with the two men and partners.

Betfair shares jumped as much as 14pc in early trading in London.

Mr Koch, an author, investor and co-founder of LEK Consulting, holds a 6.9pc stake in Betfair. Mr Ball is a non-executive director at Luxembourg-listed investment group Brait and is the co-founder o…

A brief interlude from the normal content to plug an excellent new wagering product, currently only available on Australian racing. Ever picked out two or three horses in a race and not known the right strategy to match your confidence with potential profit? This is the product for you.

From the founder, a mate with many years of experience in the trade, on both sides of the counter.

---------------------

This is the FIRST betting product in Australia in the last 50 years to have been created OUTSIDE the TAB ... and consequently it's been designed from the ground up FOR THE PUNTER ... TO WIN MORE and have a great time doing it!

It is free to join and free to use .. there's an agreement in place with Luxbet.com - so they are the first major bookie to implement the product. So you can use it now if you have a Luxbet account (or just join Luxbet if you don't).

About Me

Former Head of Education at Betfair, now in the outside world stirring up controversy, keeping punters informed and doing a bit of consulting and writing. Proud Australian who has been 'visiting' London for a few too many years now. Available for betting editorial, previews and industry comment. Contact me at scottf at journalist.com.Now regularly covering major race meetings and sporting events via guest blogger previews. Keen to have a go? Drop me a line...